Street-car fender.



` Patented mayy 20, |902. c. 0. wlis.` STREET CAR-FENDER.

(Application led Nov. 1, 1901.)

2 snee '-shm (No Model.)

` In? #waff Patented may 2o, 1902i:

C. '0. WEST. STREET CAR FENDER.

(Application med Nov'. 1, 1901. v

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v(No Model.)

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES O. WEST, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR'OF ONE-HALF TO JAMESE. LOCKWOOD,.OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

"STRETCAR FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 700,269, dated ]ll`[a ,120, 1902.

Application filed November 1, 1901. Serial No. 80,778\ (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it'mtygcocern:

Be it known thatiLfCHAnLEs O. WEST, ai citizen of theUnitedStatea'residing at Kansas City, inthe countyfJackson and State,

of Missouri, have `linventedlcertain vnew and useful ImprovementsinStreet-Car Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates Ato street-car fenders,vv andmy object is toproduceadevice of this character which automatically adapts itself toirregularities in the surface and corner and other curves of thetrack,gwhile maintaining at all times an operative relation with thecar. A further object is yto produce a fender of light weight and ofsimple, strong, durable, and inexpensive construction.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiarfeatures of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and-inforder that it may be fully understoodreference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1is atop plan Kview of a car-fender embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal section/of the same.- Fig. 3 is an enlargedcentral'section .of part of the same. Fig. 4L isan-enlarged section online IV IV of Fig. 1;- Fig.- 5'is asection'on line V V of Fig. 1. Fig.'G-'is asectionon line VI VI of Fiff. 1.

Referring to-thedrawings, where like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts, 1 designates a tube ofpsegmental form and providedfor approximately its'full length with the vertically-alinedl slots 2 3,the former near its upper'. andjthelatterl near-its'ilo'wer side, andprovided at its ends with rearwardlyprojecting arms 4:, pivoted to workvertically on the car-truckframe-5.-v This tube, which occupies ahorizontal position beneath the fore part of the car,(not` shown,) ispreferably made of two sections riveted together and to therearwardly-'proj ectin g arms 4, said sectionsbeing spaced so as toprovide the shaped portion 7. Arrangeddongitudinally andcentrally-within'the box and slotted segmental trackis a series ofbearing-rollers S, having theirtrunnions 9 projecting vertically 5 5through-,slotsZ and 3 yand-journaled in said# boxk` Theupwardly-projecting trunnions of the endmost rollers of saidl series arealso journaled"in'reinforce-plates 10, secured to the upper side of thebox and provided at 6e their front ends with depending arms 11,paralleling and a slight distance forward of the front sides of the box,as shown clearly in Fig. 4./

12 designates peripherally-grooved orspool 65 rollers arranged inlongitudinal series-within said .box at the rear or inner side of thesegmental track, and'13 similar rollers within said box at the front orouter side of the-curvedtrack, thevertical trunnions of 7o saidfrollers,ylike rollers 8, being 'journaled within-the. box, as shown'4v clearlyin Fig. 3. These rollers'preferably breakjoint with the rollers 8,andthe trunnionsofjthe endmost ones are also journaled in platesflO. Theupwardly'-projecting trunnionsfof the central onesare journaled likewiseVin the plate 15,v having adependingl arm 16 at its front end,terniinatingin aforwardly and upwardly extending brace l'. Thedepend-ing trunnions 8o of said central rollers 12 and 13 are alsojournaled in reinforce-plate 18, underlying the box and provided with aforwardly and upwardly'extending brace 19, underlying and securedtobrace 17, said double brace 17 19 85 being hooked over and rriveted orotherwise secured rigidly to the center` of a transverse arch 20,laterally bracing the rear portion of a U- shaped tubular frame 21 ofvthe fender A proper, the rear portionaofgsaid-lpframebeing 9c connectedby across-bar 22, having-its ends riveted or otherwisesuitablyfseeuredinthe ends of said tubular frame: Cross-bar 22 is curvedat its center, so astofit snug-lyagainst the front sidef V theroller-carrying'bo'x and 95 in the space formed `.between the same andplates 10, 15, and 18 and the pendent portions l1 and 16 of said plates10 and 15; this arrangement insuring that lvertical movement of thefender shall impart-like movement to Ico the box and the tubular trackand that lateral movement of the fender shall cause said roller-carryingbox to move endwise toward one side or the other upon said track.

Parallel with and a suitable distance forward of arch-brace 2O is asecond arch-brace 23 for the fender-frame 21, and this brace in turn isbraced by a centrally-arranged brace 24, secured at its rear end tobrace 23 and at its front end to the front end of frame 21, and in orderto eliminate any possibility of the latter striking the track-bed thefront end of brace 24 is depressed below it, as at 25, this relationinsuring a contact ot' portion 25 with the track-bed, and thereforeeliminating all danger of injury to the frame 21 from such cause. Thisbrace also forms a support for the basket portion of the fender, thesame consisting ot' the frame 26, provided with a foraminous or networkcover 27 and resting upon arch-brace 23 and snugly within that portionof frame 21 in advance of said arch. Said basket is also supported uponthe longitudinal braces 2S of frame 21, said braces being looped aroundand secured at theirl front ends to the frame, as at 29, and riveted, asat 30, orotherwise suitably secured at their rear ends to cross-bar22,said braces being secured at the intersection-points with arch-brace 2Oas a further means for imparting rigidity to the fender and foraffording a rigid support for the journal-boxes 3l, arranged contiguousto cross-bars 22. To secure said boxes in a simple, cheap, and efcientmanner, they are provided at their u pper and vertical sides withgrooves 32, within which fit snugly the arched portions 33 of braces23,which arch ed portions, in conjunction with the U-shaped brackets341.-, secured thereto by bolts 35, provide openings 3G, of greaterdepth than the boxes, for the purpose of enabling the fender to swingvertically on pivot-arms -lf in accommodation of irregularities of thetrack without imparting like movement to the wheels 37, mounted onopposite ends of axle 38, the journals of said axles projecting into theboxes through openings 39, where they are engaged by the usualbearing-brasses 40, dust and other foreign particles being excluded fromthe boxes by leather or equivalent washers al, interposed upon thejournals between the wheels and the boxes. These compressible washersalso serve to enable the boxes to be tilted sufficiently to enable thebearing-brasses to be fitted in place over the journals through theopenings 42 in the outer ends of the boxes, said openingsbeing arrangedabove the center of the jo'urnals in order to eliminate possibility ofleakage of the oil or otherlubricant stored therein, the lubricatingmaterial being preferably in the form of oil-saturated waste, as shownat 43 in Fig. 5. Opening 42 is normally closed byaslide-door 114, andtosecure the latter reliably in place it is provided with a loop 45 atits upper end to receive a rod 46, which also extends through loops 47and is secured in place by a cotter 13.

The car is adapted to be equipped with one of these fenders at each end,the arrangement being such by preference that only the basket portion ofthe fender shall protrude from beneath the car, though 'of course, ifdesired, that portion of the fender may also lie below the car-platform.

As the car proceeds it pushes the l'ront and pulls the rear fender, therollers 13 of the former pressing against the front side of itssegmental track and its rollers 8 pressing against the rear side orsection of said track, while the rollers 12 and 8 of the trailing fenderrespectively engage the rear and front sides or sections, respectively,of the other slotted segmental track. By this arrangement it will beobvious that there is always provided for the front or operative fendera strong, reliable, and extended bearing on it-s track 1 to receive anyimpact of an object on the car-track and at the same time to insure theproper lateral swing of the fender on said track caused by theengagement of wheels 37 with the curved portion of the rails. Thisarrangement enables the fender to swing freely to accommodate the curveand always occupy its proper relative position on the track bed. Thefender, as `ihereinbefore stated, accommodates vertical irregularitiesin the track and bed by reason of its pivotal connection with the truck.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced afender for streetcars which embodies the features of advantageenumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and while I haveillus trated and described the preferred embodiment of the same it willbe understood that it is susceptible of modifications in variousparticulars without departing from the principle of constructioninvolved.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A street-car fender, comprising a curved track, pivoted to operatevertically, a box mounted to slide thereon transversely of thecar-track, a fender-frame rigidly connected to said box, a basketsecured to the front end of the same, journal-boxes secured near therear end of said frame, an axle journalediin said boxes, and wheelsmounted on said axle, and adapted to travel upon the car-track rails,substantially as described.

2. A car-fender, comprising a slotted segmental tubular track pivoted tooperate vertically, a box mounted on said track, and provided withrollers engaging the same internally and externally, the trunnions ofsaid internal rollers projecting through the slots of the track, and awheel-supported frame rigidly secured to said box and provided at itsfront end with a basket, substantially as described.

3. A car-fender, comprising a slotted segmental tubular track adaptedfor connection with a' car, a box upon said track, rollers journaled insaid box and within the track, rollers journaled in said box andengaging the IOO lIO

front or rear sidesbf the track, anda Wheelsupported frame secured tosaid box and provided with a basket at its front end, substantially asdescribed.

4:. A car-fender, comprising a curved track, pivoted to Work vertically,a box slidingly mounted on the track,y a Wheelsupported frame providedwith a basket at its front end, and a cross-bar at its rear end having acurved portion fitting against the front side'of the box, `an archedbrace connecting the sides of the Wheel-supported frame,reinforce-plates Secured to the ends of the box and having dependingarms engaging the front side of the cross-bar of the Wheel-supportedframe, and plates secured tol the upper and lower sides of the box andprovided With brace-arms connected at their front ends to the middle ofsaid arched brace, oneof said plates having a vertical portion bearingagainst the front side of said cross-bar of the Wheel-supportedl frame,substantially as described, t

5. A car-fender, comprising a curved track pivoted to the car to Workvertically, a box slidingly mounted thereon, a Wheelisupported frameconnected at its rear end to said box, an arch connecting the sides ofsaid frame `near its front end, a brace connecting the center of saidarch with the front end of said frame and depressed near its front endto a plane beloW that of the Wheelsupported frame, and a basket securedupon said arch and that portion of the Wheel-supported frame `in advanceof the arch and overlying said fitting in said openings, and havingverticall movem entvvith relation thereto, an axle journaled in saidjournal-boxes and wheels mounted on said axle, and adapted to run uponthe car-track, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presenceof twoWitnesses.

i CHARLES O. WEST;

Witnesses: y

y vH. C. RoDGERs, i G. V. THORPE.

